6 Answers
6

This is an MS-Outlook format. There is a command line tool called MSGConvert (see www.matijs.net/software/msgconv) which converts .msg files into .eml. You can open those with Thunderbird or Evolution. On Ubuntu you should be able to install the tool using

I ran across such a file as well (provided to me by a colleague who saved an email message in Microsoft Outlook). file(1) identifies the .msg file like so:

foo.msg: Composite Document File V2 Document

Georg Jung's answer regarding Matijs van Zuijlen's perl-based msgconvert(1) utility steered me in the right direction. Although my system does not at the time of this writing have the msgconvert utility packaged, the install instructions on Matijs' web page indicate using cpan as one way to install it:

I also downvote this "solution", because it violates privacy. .msg files sometimes contain mail threads, which must be kept confidential.
– slowhandMay 27 '16 at 15:29

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I don't get where the tool violates privacy. It's just a wrong statement. It's the same saying Winrar violates privacy because sometimes .rar files contain files which may be confidential. Or an SQLite client violates privacy because you can read Skype conversations from .db file.
– Andre FigueiredoOct 4 '17 at 18:45

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@AndreFigueiredo: It’s the difference between an online tool and a local program. When you process data with WinRAR or any other program on your computer, the data stay on your computer (unless it’s infected with spyware). But with this “coolutils” solution, you upload your file to their website and then download the result. Do they immediately delete your data off their servers? Are their personnel allowed to look at your data? Do they sell your data to other people? Once you give it to them, it’s out of your control.
– ScottNov 9 '17 at 23:51